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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

If you’re in a senior leadership role in a large
organization, there’s a good chance there is a succession plan for your
position in case you get promoted, win the lottery, get hit by a bus, leave to
take a position at another company, or need to be replaced for poor
performance. In smart companies, an orderly replacement of high level, critical
positions is considered to be strategically important to the continued success
of the company. A failure to proactively plan for succession is the same as
failing to safeguard the financial assets of an organization.

Other than this handful of critical executive positions,
succession planning for the rest of the organizations is usually managed by
identifying “pools” of candidates that are considered to have potential to move
into any number of senior leadership roles. In other words, the typical
mid-senior level leadership position isn’t considered important enough to worry
about if the incumbent leaves. When it happens, the organization reaches into
the pool for a replacement, hires externally, or re-shapes the position in a
way so that it doesn’t look anything like it used to.

Some companies would rather exclude the incumbent manager
from recommending replacement candidates, as it can be seen as threatening, and
when asked, they often come up with blank lists or weak candidates.

However, just because there isn’t a formal, HR-driven
succession plan for your position, that doesn’t mean you can’t create one
yourself.

Why would any leader want to bother, especially if they
are even not being asked to?

There are at least four compelling reasons:

1.
So that you are not seen as “irreplaceable”.

On the surface, being so important that no one else could
replace you seems like a good deal. That’s job security, right? Well, that’s OK
if you want to do the same job for the rest of your career. But if you have
aspirations to do something different (like get promoted), then being
irreplaceable is painting yourself into a career corner. I have been in the
meetings when those decisions are made – it happens.

2.
So that you can take time off with peace of mind.

Being “replaceable” has immediate, tangible benefits too.
You can actually take a vacation, maternity or disability leave, or time off
for some other reason without worrying about your department falling apart or
being called in to clean up the mess.

3. Failure
to groom a successor is seen as poor leadership.

Talent management is considered a critical competency for
leaders these days. Leaders that do it well have higher performing
organizations and are seen as being strategic and confident leaders. If your
management looks at your position and doesn’t see a viable slate of candidates,
you’ll be labeled a leader that can’t coach, delegate, develop, or let go. The
heck with that promotion, maybe it’ll be time to replace you for not doing your
job.

4.
If self-interest and fear aren’t enough motivation, then think about your
legacy.

Francis Hesselbein, considered by Peter Drucker to be one
of the greatest leaders of all time, said it best: “Successful transition is the last act of a great leader”.

You’ve worked hard to make a difference, establish a
vision, achieve results, and build your team. Why wouldn’t you want someone
that you handpicked and groomed to step into your role and continue to build on
what you’ve created?

Once you’ve made the decision to plan for your own
succession, here are a few tips on how to do it:

1.
Define the future requirements for your position.

Unless you’re planning on leaving next week, don’t think
about the skills needed to do your job as it exists today – think about what it would take to be successful 3-5 years
in the future. It’s a good exercise in strategic thinking, and it may even
change the way you’re approaching your own development.

2.
Assess your team.

Use a
performance and potential matrix to assess your own team.
Does anyone have the potential to be considered a candidate for the role as
you’ve envisioned it in the future? If so, put them on your “short list” of
successors.

3.
Look outside of your team.

A well rounded, talented, diverse “virtual bench” should
include 1-2 candidates from your own team (if they exist) and a 2-3 from
outside of your immediate team. They could be from within your organization or
external. These external candidates could also be part of your virtual bench
for new hires or replacements on your own team.

4. Coach
and develop your succession candidates.

Coaching and developing will help everyone on your team become better performers – it shouldn’t be
limited to just potential successors. However, if you are preparing someone to
step into your role, either short term (i.e., a vacation or leave), or long
term, development has a different focus. It’s not just about helping them do
their own job better; it’s preparing them to do your job through stretch
assignments, delegation, training, coaching, and feedback.

5. Share
your succession plan with your boss.

If you have enough self-confidence to create your own
succession plan, then share it with your manager. Why? In addition to the
benefits already listed above, it’s a chance to get feedback and another
perspective. Who knows, maybe your manager knows something about your role’s
future requirements that you were not aware of, has opinions about the
performance and potential of your candidates, or has other candidate suggestions.
It’s all good information to share and be aware of.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Many membership
organizations and not-for-profits are struggling to maintain their relevance in
today’s fast changing environment.Unprecedented competition, higher expectations, accelerating technology,
changing preferences and time pressures are all converging to create a
challenging landscape.At the root of
the problem: weak, hidebound board leadership.

Given the strong role that
not-for-profit boards have in directing their organizations, it is difficult
for volunteer leaders to not to take responsibility for the plight of these
groups.Many boards of membership and
voluntary organizations share three characteristics that hamstring their
leadership.

First, most boards are not
composed for performance.Directors are
selected based on who they know, what interest they represent or how long they
have been hanging around.Let’s face it;
many on boards are along for the ride.They have superficial levels of involvement and they engage in “social
loafing” -- the propensity of those in large groups to default to a smaller
group to carry the workload.While there
are leaders on boards, there are not enough of them.

Second, board leadership
rarely holds themselves or their peers accountable.Admittedly, it is difficult to challenge a
non-performing director that is volunteering their time.But, tolerating slackers marginalizes the
efforts of true leaders intent on advancing the organization’s mission.

Third, tradition – not
strategy – is the master of most non-profits.This year’s board does what last year’s board did.Officers perpetuate time-honored programs and
legacy processes.There is a lot of talk
about “strategic boards” and “strategic thinking,” but most nonprofits are
driven by convention and “the way we’ve always done it” mentality.Traditions have a stranglehold on most tax
exempts.

Membership, civic, and
charitable organizations are in a race for relevance.To win, it requires leadership that can craft
and execute strategy: skillful, creative, and disciplined use of resources to
achieve their objectives.Strategy
doesn’t just happen.It requires
leadership, focus, and work.Successful
nonprofits will embrace the following three approaches to succeed:

1. Small, competency-based boards with rigorous director selectionMost boards are too
large.They are cumbersome and consume
an inordinate amount of staff time.A
five-member board is likely to be most effective in many cases.And, directors need to be carefully selected
based on predeterminedcriteria.For starters, ask “What are the major
opportunities and challenges we will encounter in the next five years?” Then ask, “What kind of directors will be best
suited to govern (“direct and control”) the organization given those
opportunities and challenges?”

This takes time and
effort, but think of the time and effort costs of underperforming boards.It will be well worth the effort.For those who pushback at a five member
board, please show me a large board where the Executive Committee does not do
the lion’s share of the work anyway.

2. Strategy-driven vs. tradition-driven governanceBoards that perform will recognize
the risks associated with clinging to obsolete programs and processes that once
served them well, but now threaten their relevance.They will assess their true strengths and
areas where they excel, and concentrate their scarce resources on them like
never before.To do so will require them
to say “no” – something politicians can’t do, but leaders know they must.Losing focus in today’s environment is a
prescription for failure.

Directors on effective
boards will eliminate waste by understanding the cost of an activity and effort
that doesn’t deliver value or advance the organization towards its mission.
They will eliminate unproductive effort, just as manufacturers eliminated waste
in the production process to compete in global markets.Many tax-exempts are overweight and out of
shape, yet vying with lean and nimble competitors.

Non-profit leaders of
tomorrow will know that purposefully discontinuing programs and activities that
have outlived their usefulness frees up resources for innovation.They can’t continue to add new services,
events, and initiatives year after year without spreading resources too thin
and marginalizing performance in all of them.Leaders will learn that at times you need to “shrink to grow” as did
General Motors when it eliminated Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Saab, and Hummer
to focus on Cadillac and Chevrolet.

3. The technology imperativeMany associations and
non-profits have been slow to adopt technology in a world that is rapidly going
digital.Members, donors, policymakers,
and volunteers alike are constantly using technology from apps to streaming
video to social media.They expect
non-profits to use the same technologies they are accustomed to in their
day-to-day lives. Ignoring the imperative
and potential of technology is a short cut to irrelevance.

Change is particularly
difficult when organizations have decades of operating based on long-standing
traditions.But, as someone tweeted
recently during my keynote speech, “If you don’t like change, you’ll like
irrelevance even less.”Association and
not-for-profit leaders will understand the tradeoffs involved and make the
necessary changes with a sense of urgency.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

I've been involved in leadership development for a long time, so I've been exposed to a lot of bosses from all walks of life. One question people often ask me and others in this business is "If all of this leadership development stuff is supposed to be so great, then why are there so many bad bosses?"

There's a lot of attention being given to "bullying" these days, and bosses are often the bully culprits in the workplace.

It's not just some kind of anti-boss media conspiracy. A lack of respect for bosses will often show up in polls and surveys as well.

How could this be? How could so many incapable, evil-doing nincompoops end up in positions of management?

I believe these kind of bosses are the minority, not the majority. That's not based on polls or research - only on my own personal experience in working with real managers, as well as reviewing the results of hundreds of 360 assessments.

Here's my view of the world of bosses:

1. Great Leaders: 10%
These are those rare bosses that are able to consistently bring out the best in others and achieve extraordinary results. They are the ones that make a positive difference in the lives of their employees, organizations, and the world around them. They are not just the famous historical figures - great leaders are all around us.

2. Good Bosses: 40%
This is the bell curve of bosses: decent, hard working, well-intended bosses that strive to be great leaders - and often are - but don't always get it right. When given feedback, they will work on their weak areas, but don't always have the tools or support needed to improve.

3. Unskilled Bosses: 30% (sometimes referred to as incompetent)
These bosses may be new, or just never learned the basics of good management and leadership. Sometimes they had poor roles models or were never trained. They have good intentions - they are just going about it the wrong way, and get frustrated when they don't get the results they need. With proper training, coaching, and development, they can become at least good, if not great leaders.

4. Apathetic Bosses: 10%
These are the ones that for some reason have just checked out. They may have been a good boss at some point - or at least have the potential to be a good boss - but just don't care anymore. They don't embrace the role of a boss - having to manage people is just a requirement of the role that they would just as soon not have to do.

5. Jerks: 5%
"Jerks" is a subjective assessment, and everyone has their own level of tolerance when it comes to the imperfections of others. Mine just happens to be around 5%, not just for bosses, but people in general.
Jerk bosses are just jerks that somehow got promoted when they should not have. Sadly, most jerks don't know they are jerks. In fact, these are some of the bosses who think they are great leaders. They will take a good management or leadership concept, and screw it up in practice. Unlike unskilled bosses, I'm not sure if any amount of training or coaching will make enough of a difference to overcome being a jerk.

6. Bullies: 5%.
Bully bosses, like jerks, were probably always mean-spirited people but got promoted because of their hard work, technical talent, and their ability to manipulate, intimidate, suck-up, and get short-term results. In a position of power and authority, they have even more ability to push others around and make the workplace a living hell for those unlucky enough to work for them.

These last two categories are the ones we read about the most. If you search "types of bosses", you'll find a lot of articles written about different variations of these last two, but not much about the other 90%.

Again, these percentages are heavily biased based on the the kind of organizations I've worked in and for. I'm sure, based on Glassdoor reviews, that the percentages vary quite a bit based on organizational culture.

I think the percentages are also dependant on people's life experiences, their tolerance, as well as their expectations for a boss. For example, if you've never been a boss, are fiercely independent with little respect for anyone in a position of authority, you'd probably rate ANY boss as incompetent at best.

So why are do many surveys should that 50% or more employees have an unfavorable view of their bosses? Well, if you add up categories 3-6, there's 50% right there. I also think people often have unrealistic expectations of their bosses - they are rating them against "Great Leader" standards (based on the survey questions), when in reality, that's a pretty high bar that few will ever reach. So many from the "Good Boss" category end up getting low marks in surveys.

So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my categories and percentages, and if so, why?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Webster’s Dictionary defines a “leader” as a person who has commanding authority or influence”. I would argue that in the 21st century it’s all about influence, not authority. If a leader only has authority and is unable to influence others, then his leadership will be short lived. And with the shortage of talent, leaders need to create sustainability in an organization.

Think about those leaders and individual contributors in your organization, whether for profit or not for profit, who may not have the title of VP, Director, or Manager yet they have followers because of their influence with others. These are the people who others listen to and respect but don’t have the title providing them with the authority to lead. They are able to use specific behaviors that align with the situation that will get others to change behaviors, opinions, attitudes, goals, needs and values.

What are the critical methods to leadership influence?

It is important to understand that influence much like leadership, is dependent on the situation that requires influence. It may be that you are trying to influence someone higher in the organization, a peer, or a direct report. All of these are different situations in themselves. Other types of situations where influence may be needed include:

• Changes to project plans

• Support of proposals by upper management

• Agree to new assignments and tasks

• Provide necessary information in a timely fashion

• Stop ineffective or negative behaviors

The Power Use Model outlined by Anita Hall, Extension Educator and LeverneBarrett, Extension Leadership Specialist of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, depicts someone’s choice of influence tactics in terms of the “softness” versus “hardness” of the tactic. The spectrum relates to the freedom the tactic leaves the person being influenced to decide either to yield or to resist the influence attempt:

Hard tactics give individuals less freedom than soft tactics. They are perceived as more forceful and push the person to comply versus support. Hard tactics include “exchange,” “legitimating,” “pressure,” “assertiveness,” “upward appeal” and “coalitions.” Soft tactics are considered thoughtful and constructive, and pull the person to make the necessary change. Soft tactics include “personal appeal,” “consultation,” “inspirational appeal,” “ingratiation” and “rational persuasion.” It is important to note that soft tactics tend to provide more lasting change because they create an emotion of support versus compliance by the person being influenced.

And, there are certain methods when used to influence that are generally unsuccessful. These tactics are often associated with a leader who has the authority but lacks influence. Autocratic leaders will often make demands, threats or intimidation, which will generate short-term change but no support.

When would this tactic be useful? In an emergency, demands are often necessary. A leader needs to have people move quickly when the office is on fire or the plant has been exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Yet for the most part, when soft tactics are used more than hard tactics, such as demands and threats, a leader can build influence capital. From my experience with leaders, those who are highly influential use these two tactics more than others:

• Inspirational appeal - a request or proposal that arouses emotions and enthusiasm by appealing to other’s values and ideals, or by increasing their confidence in being successful.

• Consultation- includes others’ in making a decision or planning how to implement a change that impacts them

So what if you’re a leader with authority, you’ve got the title, how do you know whether or not you have influence with the people you are leading? My suggestion to leaders is to start taking an audit of the methods they use to influence. How much time are they using the consultation and inspirational appeal methods to influence others? And if the percent is low, how are you going to increase your soft tactic influence?

Beth Armknecht Miller, of Atlanta, Georgia, is Founder and President of Executive Velocity, a leadership development advisory firm accelerating the leadership success of CEOs and business leaders. She is also a Vistage Chair and Executive Coach. She is certified in Myers Briggs and Hogan leadership assessment tools and is a Certified Managerial Coach by Kennesaw State University. Visit http://www.executive-velocity.com/ or http://executivevelocityblog.com/ or follow her on twitter at SrExecAdvisor.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The success of his
nighttime ride almost 240 years ago is a testament to effective matrix
leadership skills–and a lesson for today’s leaders.

Guest post by Signe Spencer, Hay Group

A few months
ago, I would never have considered Paul Revere a useful example of a matrix
leader. I always thought of him as the prototypical lone hero, galloping
through the night shouting “the British are coming,” more or less at random, to
rouse the countryside.

But then I
read Paul Revere’s Ride, David Hackett
Fischer’s excellent account of the people and events leading to the start of
the American revolution. It turns out Paul Revere wasn’t working alone, and
didn’t shout randomly as he rode.

In fact,
almost nothing about his ride that night was random. Revere had spent decades
laying the foundation for his overnight success. And his story has important
lessons for anyone concerned about effective matrix
leadership.

A colonial
matrix?

When we
think of early patriots today, we remember a few outsized historical figures
like Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and the Sons of Liberty. But the reality
was far more complex.

The Sons of
Liberty was just one of seven important Boston patriot groups involving
hundreds of influential citizens. Each was loosely organized around its own
focus and goals, with few connections and little or no formal communication
between them.

In the same
way, every town had its own militia, created for its protection and commanded
by its leading citizens. There was little overlap between them, and no
overarching organization or command structure uniting them.

Today we
would call this assemblage a matrix – a poorly organized one at that. And
veteran managers know better than to expect quick, decisive action from a
poorly organized matrix.

But Paul
Revere succeeded

Paul Revere,
it turns out, had the exact qualities that were required to bring
clarity to this confusion of colonial coalitions, and unify its divergent
forces to deliver a coherent, revolutionary response.

He was a
natural matrix leader, displaying the key leadership qualities that are
essential to success in today’s matrixed organizations.

Revere knew the patriot groups. He was a
joiner who had been active in the civic affairs of Boston all his life. In fact,
he was one of only two people known to have belonged to five of the seven
important patriot organizations. As a result, Revere was familiar with the
activities, goals and leadership of all these groups, and was perfectly
positioned to help coordinate the separate streams of patriot activities when
events required.

The take-away for matrix managers: Like Revere, effective matrix leaders
must have a broad organizational awareness to successfully align their group’s
objectives and activities with those of parallel groups, as well as the
strategic goals of the organization as a whole. They also must know where to
seek the resources they need to meet their objectives, and what levers they
have to push to get them.

Revere knew people and how to influence them.
Through
his long record of civic activism, his broad range of interests, and his work
as a silversmith, Revere not only knew most of Boston’s influential citizens,
but those of neighboring towns as well. He also knew how to build consensus to
accomplish common goals, and had established a regional reputation as a man of
his word who could be trusted to get things done.

The take-away for matrix managers: Leaders in
a matrix often lack line authority over critical team members, or over
gatekeepers who control critical resources elsewhere in the organization. The
ability to understand people and their motivations – and to use the tools of
influence and persuasion to enlist their support and assistance – is vital to
successful matrix management.

Revere took initiative in guiding a
collaborative solution. He spent months visiting and talking with
local leaders in Boston and surrounding towns, helping to forge unity and
create a specific plan of action to counter an anticipated British move against
the armory in Concord. When the time came, Revere didn’t shout from horseback
to just anyone; he rode to prearranged homes and roused the residents, who in
turn notified other key individuals, activating a cascading communication
network that he had helped to create.

What it means for matrix managers: Successful
matrix efforts almost always require thoughtful preparation to create the
conditions that will support a positive outcome. Keen organization awareness
and outstanding influence skills are empty assets unless matrix leaders take
the initiative to use them to lay the groundwork for success, and guide their
teams to create collaborative solutions that meet organizational goals.

Leadership
you can learn

No business
wants managers running through the halls shouting, “The competition is coming.”
But as more organizations shift to matrix structures, the leadership skills
that the real Paul Revere possessed are in greater, and growing, demand.

Yet many
organizations find that good matrix leaders are in short supply – in large part
because veteran managers accustomed to traditional, hierchical roles are not
necessarily prepared for the very different demands of a matrix.

Fortunately,
the skills required of effective matrix leaders can be learned – and your organizational
patriots can be ready and waiting when the competition arrives.

Signe Spencer is a senior consultant and
global practice leader for capability assessment at Hay Group, and has researched successful leadership
practices in matrix structures.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

When it came to individual development planning and
coaching, I never used to be a fan of adding a lot of muckety-muck to the
process. I’ve always felt that way when it comes to most HR and leadership
development processes – simple is always better.

I’ve developed that perspective from devoting my career as an
internal practitioner working with a lot of busy, impatient, hard-charging
executives. Given the nature of succession planning cycles, most of them ended
up scrambling to create individual development plans (IDPs) at the last minute
all at the same time, and it was my job to help them. Out of necessity, I perfected
the “45 minute drive-by IDP”.

However, I’ve learned that there are times when it’s
important to slow down, step back, and take the time to think through the implications of a development plan. After all, it’s
relatively easy to create a spiffy looking plan with all of the right buzz
words, but its hard work to actually change
your behavior. Way hard! When the going gets tough, people can give up, throw
up their hands, and tell themselves and others “that’s just the way I am”.

One way to increase the chances of changing behavior is to ask
yourself or others that you are coaching a few “return on investment” (ROI)
questions before a development goal and actions are committed to. Taking the
time to consider the implications of changing – or not changing – will help
create the internal motivation, ownership, and commitment to change.

While you don’t need to add a section to your IDP, I’d recommend
that you write down your answers to the following questions:

1. If I get better at (add the behavior you want to
improve), one benefit will be: ________. Don’t be satisfied with one of two
benefits – keep asking the question. Sometimes the most valuable benefits take
a while to bubble up.

2. How will the company or my organization benefit? See if
you can connect the dots to your organization’s mission and measurable
objectives.

3. How will changing this behavior help me achieve my
business and personal objectives?

4. What will happen if I don’t change?

5. What will be the cost of changing this behavior? Even
where there are lots of benefits to change, all change comes at a price. What
will you lose by changing? What will you have to give up? How much effort will
it take?

Once you’ve answered each of these questions (or the person
you are coaching has), decide if it’s really worth changing the behavior. People
won’t change their behavior if they don’t want to – and neither will you. Even
if there a lot of positive benefits to changing, it just might not be worth the
cost and effort. The point is, you (or someone else) need to make a decision. Only then should you move on
to deciding how you’re going to change. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time.

Learning a new behavior, or eliminating a bad habit, takes a
lot of discipline, practice and a dose of humility. No one gets it right the
first time, and it takes up to a year to get completely comfortable with it. Going
back and reviewing the answers to these five questions might just give you the
inspiration you need to stick with it.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Guest post by Ray Attiyah:I had a conversation a few days ago with somebody about how to create an engaged workforce. Hiscompany had a huge collection of training material, charts, books, pamphlets, and seminar schedules that they passed out to their people. But even with all of these resources, they were having trouble with a more basic issue – defining an engaged workforce. Is it a workforce that shows up on time for their shift? Is it a workforce that is emotionally happy at work? It is a workforce that brings up ideas to improve their workplace? What is it?

When he asked me what his company’s definition of “engaged workforce” should be, I responded, “What do you want it to be?” And I answered him this way because engagement isn’t something that’s precisely defined. How would a parent define a good child? It’s not just about how he or she feels about the kid on a particular day. And it’s not just about a checklist of behaviors that the kid completes. It’s a combination of both feelings and behaviors. Engagement occurs when employees feel that the direction of the organization is a direction that satisfies their personal objectives. Employees are engaged when they feel that they are working for themselves, that is, they are working to meet their own goals, not just to make their boss happy. When employees are engaged, they are investing their time in something that is meaningful to them and right for them. They show their engagement through their voluntary behaviors. One of my favorite sayings is “We rent people’s hands and their backs, but they volunteer their hearts, their minds and their imaginations.” That to me is a really good way to think about engagement – it’s when people volunteer their hearts, their minds and their imaginations.So the question is when will people do that and when will they not? They won’t do it if they don’t believe in what you are doing. They won’t do it if they don’t believe they are being appreciated for what they do. They won’t do it if they don’t feel as though everybody else is putting forth a good effort. And they won’t do it if they feel their managers are not helping them. People engage when they believe in a purpose, feel appreciated, and have the environment to succeed.

Leaders define standards. What you promise and how you define employee engagement is fine, but realize that the best and brightest talent, as well as customers, will gravitate to the organizations with the boldest promise with a robust reputation of delivering upon their engagement promise.Ray Attiyah is a serial entrepreneur and author of “The Fearless Front Line: The Key to Liberating Leaders to Improve and Grow Their Business.”

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I was helping out our Career Services team last week by
being an interviewer for some of our soon-to-graduate senior business majors.
Although I have my
own preferred way on doing selection interviewing, I was
provided with a list of standard questions and was asked to stick to the
script.

Two of the questions were:

1. What you’re your greatest strengths?

2. What are your greatest weaknesses and what are you
doing to overcome them?

One of the student candidates nailed them both! She had
very specific and authentic answers for each question, along with a story to
illustrate each strength and weakness. The strengths were highly relevant to
the position she was interviewing for. The weaknesses less relevant, but she
skillfully used the question to show humble self-awareness and the desire to
develop and improve.

The other three candidates didn’t do so well with the
questions, which somewhat surprised me. I always thought those lame questions
were two of the most overused interview questions used by inexperienced hiring
managers. Anyone in the job market,
or soon to be in the job market, should at a minimum have answers for those
questioned memorized and rehearsed. They paused, they stumbled, and they
rambled on, and eventually were able to sweat their way to the next question.

I was happy to give them constructive feedback. (-:

However, as I think about the work I’ve done with very seasoned
successful executives, maybe I was too hard on those 20 something year-old students.
When faced with the results of their 360 degree assessment reports and
feedback, I’d say at least half of the executives I’ve coached didn’t have a clear
handle on what their greatest strengths and weaknesses were. Or, even if they
thought they did, there was a mismatch between the person they thought they were and how they were perceived by others.

Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses isn’t just
important in acing interviews and landing a spot on a television reality show.
It’s also important in order to be a successful leader. “Blind-spot” weaknesses,
often manifested as over-used
strengths that may have served as leader well early in their
career, will most likely derail a senior leader if not identified and
addressed. Attention to detail turns into micromanaging; confidence turns into
arrogance, and being a good problem solver leads to an inability to delegate
and develop others.

How aware are you of your strengths and weaknesses? If
you haven’t already, could you answer the two questions about greatest
strengths and weaknesses any better than our students did?

I could have two years ago when I was interviewing for my
current position, but if I had to honestly answer the same questions today, I’m
sure my answers would be different.

So here’s what I think we need to do:

At least once a year – about as often as we should get an
annual performance review and be updating our resumes – take a few moments to
answer those two questions. Then, if you have a weakness or overused strength
that’s hindering your performance as a leader, create a development plan and do something about it. If you’re not
sure what your strengths or weaknesses are – or want to verify your
self-assessment (which in most cases is pretty inaccurate), get a 360 degree
assessment and engage an executive coach to help your sort out the results and
create your development plan.

If you can’t do a 360 or afford a coach, then at least
ask others – your boss, coworkers, and employees – for their feedback. That’s
what the most successful leaders do – they are always on the lookout for blind spots, and know when and how to
adapt their behavior to the context of the situation they are faced with.

Don’t wait for that next job interview to take stock of
your strengths and weaknesses – do it on a regular basis, as a part of your
ongoing development as a leader.

In my work as an executive coach, I meet at least once a
month with each of my coaching clients. I often talk to them on the phone and
exchange emails with them as we work on their real-time business challenges.

So what happens in those conversations? Recurring themes
start to come up. I find that many leaders have a “talk track” of words and
phrases that they use all the time—without always being aware of the impact.
For better or worse, this talk track ends up becoming part of their executive
presence and their brand as a leader.

One of my clients had a talk track for many years that
led to a reputation for negativity. In one meeting alone, I noticed that he had
described about ten different work experiences as “nightmares.” Strong word! So
we talked about this talk track. And the next time I heard him lapse into that
way of talking, I decided to delve into it. “What I just heard from you was an
example of that ‘talk track’ we’ve talked about,” I said. “So let’s talk about
this. You say it was a ‘nightmare.’ Okay—why do you call it a
nightmare?”

The upshot was that he had made a sales presentation but
didn’t get the deal. I said, “Let’s use accurate language to describe the situation.”
Was it a nightmare? No. Maybe it was a disappointment. Maybe he could have
said, “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the deal” or “They decided to go with
another vendor” and state why, objectively. My goal was to get him to stop
“catastrophizing” when something didn’t work out.

This leader didn’t want to be defined by that negative
“talk track” anymore. So I told him that the only way to do that is to turn up
the volume on a very different talk track—one that captures the brand and
presence that you want to project.

I’ve had clients who always talked about how difficult
or challenging or complex things seemed to them. You’ve
probably had a boss or colleague with any number of talk-track themes:

“I’m
so exhausted/overwhelmed/unhappy/unappreciated….”

“Everyone
here is useless/stupid/incompetent….”

“It’s
such a difficult environment/project/client/travel schedule…”

“That
will never work/We won’t get that deal/It’s a dumb idea/What were they
thinking?”

Often people aren’t even aware of how much they harp on a
conversational theme and how negatively this lack of executive presence is
affecting their professional brand. So what can you do to make sure your talk
track is working for you and not against you as a leader? Take these four
steps:

1. Identify your talk-track themes.

What are the words and phrases that you find yourself
constantly using in conversations at work? Write down the things you seem to
say almost every day—or think about what themes come up all the time for
you in conversation at work or elsewhere.

2. Consider the impact of your talk track.

As a leader, your words carry more weight than others.
You’re setting the tone for your team or division or organization. Whether that
tone is absurdly optimistic, cynical, critical, upbeat, energized, or overly
emotional, it’s going to be the model for others. Make sure that your talk
track is consistent with the values and behaviors you want to drive.

3. Challenge the reality of your talk track.

How accurate is your talk track? Do you have a natural
tendency to see the part of the glass that’s empty? How do you respond to
setbacks? Do you gloss over the pain? Do you make a mountain out of a molehill?
It’s crucial for leaders to be balanced, objective, and real about what’s
happening. Your language choices need to reflect that.

4. Consider what you could say differently.

It’s easy to lapse into your talk track. When you catch
yourself saying the same old things, try to catch yourself as if an alarm was
going off. Can you find another way to say it—something that’s consistent with
the brand and presence you want to project.

Don’t get me wrong. Leaders do need to be “real” about
challenges and setbacks, and a somber tone may be appropriate and even helpful
at times. The goal is to become more aware of your talk track and what it’s
doing for you and others. As a leader, people take their cues from you. Before
you know it, your talk track can dominate or drive the culture.

Changing your talk track is a challenge. Our ways of
talking and viewing the world are pretty ingrained through several decades of
life experiences. But change is also very possible. Pump up the volume on a
more positive talk track for the holidays, and your presence will be viewed as
a gift.

Elizabeth Freedman is an executive coach and senior
communications consultant with Bates Communications. She spent over 15 years as
a global brand and marketing consultant, working with large companies in the
financial services, technology and consumer products industries on behalf of
the global consulting firms Accenture and marchFIRST, as well as in her private
coaching and consulting practice. Elizabeth enjoys working closely with her
clients to help them lead, persuade, and strategically influence their
stakeholders.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

In all of the
work I’ve done in management development over the last 20-plus years, if I had
to pick the one thing that managers at all levels either won’t do, can’t
do, should do or could do it better, it’s having the will and skill to sit down
with an employee and have the tough conversation about performance.

In the life cycle
of management development, we tend to view this as “supervision 101.” And it’s
true — learning how to handle a performance problem is one of the very first
things a new leader should learn how to do. The problem is, for whatever
reason, they just don’t. Instead, they often develop all kind of ways to work around
performance problems as they work their way up to the executive ranks.

They develop the
ability to think strategically, lead change, make a great presentation and
other executive skills, but it’s like they skipped class when this skill was
taught. Then, usually when it’s too late, they’ll call in HR or hire an
executive coach to do their dirty work for them, as handling a performance
problem would be a task beneath their pay grade.

Am I being too
harsh or cynical? Here’s why it ticks me off so much: In the worst-case
scenario, some poor employee ends up doing what they thought was good work for
their entire career in a company and ends up finally getting let go because no
one had the courage or ability to deal with it while there was still time to
fix it. It’s sad, and it should never happen, but it does.

So, because the
problem still exists (and it still gets me fired up), here’s an update from a
post I wrote about three years ago. It’s based on a methodology I learned when
I first started training new supervisors, and it’s still as effective now as it
was back then.

The roadmap:

1. Get your
ducks in a row (preparation):

Something’s
happened that has brought the performance problem to your attention. It’s
either some objective performance data (sales numbers) or some kind of
behavioral issue (falling asleep in a meeting). Gather all the data you can –
get input from other sources if you can. It’s like CSI work – you’re gathering
evidence to be able to convince yourself first, then the employee.

Then, write an
outline of what you want to say and how you want to say it. If it’s serious
stuff, you’ll want to involve your friendly local HR person. No, really –
involve them. This is when you’ll realize how valuable a good HR pro can be.
They deal with this stuff on a regular basis.

Schedule a
meeting — allow an hour — in a private location (closed door office or
conference room). There’s no good time to have this kind of conversation, but
Friday afternoon might be about the best.

Finally, step
back and check your motivation. The objective of this discussion should be to
truly help the employee – not to punish them or let off steam just to
get it off your chest. Having the right frame of mind going into the discussion
will set the tone and make all the difference.

2. Explain the
performance issue.

Forget the
friendly small talk — just get to the point. In a calm and conversational
manner, explain to the employee what the performance issue or behavior is and
why it concerns you. There are a couple models for doing this:

SBR (Situation, Behavior, and
Result): “In our
meeting this week, you fell asleep. I had to wake you up and embarrass you
in front of your peers.”

BFE (Behavior, Feeling, and Effect): “When you fell asleep in our
meeting, I felt like you were not interested in what I had to say. That
sets a poor example for the rest of the team.”

However you do
it, you’re basically helping the employee understand what exactly you are
concerned about and why it concerns you. Not too harsh and judgmental, but
don’t sugarcoat it.

3. Ask for
reasons and listen.

This is where you
give the employee a chance to give their side of things. Don’t ask: “So — what
the hell were you thinking?” Instead, try something like: “So help me
understand how this could happen?”

The key here is
to really listen — for facts and feelings. There may be some legitimate reason
for the problem; there usually is, at least from the employee’s perspective.
Understanding the real underlying causes will help you and the employee do the
next step, which is:

4. Solve the
problem.That’s the whole
point of the discussion, right? Eliminate the causes and make the problem go
away. A lot of managers seem to lose sight of that. It’s also a coaching
opportunity for the employee to learn and develop.

This really
should be a collaborative discussion. In fact, it’s best to ask for the
employee’s ideas on solving the problem first. People support what they create.
The employee’s idea may not be as good as yours, but they’ll be more likely to
own it and have success implementing it. If you’re not confident the employee’s
idea is going to work, you can always add your own as an additional idea. The
key here is to make sure the employee is committed — which leads to the next
step….

5. Ask for
commitment and set a follow-up date.

Summarize the
action plan, and ask for the employee’s commitment. They need to say it to own
it. Then make sure to set and agree on a follow-up date to check in on
progress. That way, if the initial ideas are not working, you can come up with
additional ideas. You also let the employee know you’re not going to let it
slide.

6. Express
your confidence (and possible consequences).

If this is just
the first discussion, and not a serious infraction, then there’s no need to
mention consequences. However, if not, then you’ll need to make sure you
clearly describe what will happen if there is insufficient improvement in
performance or if the behavior does not improve. Either way, end it on a
positive note — by expressing your confidence that the solutions you’ve both
come up with will work. I realize this is hard to do if you don’t sincerely
mean it; if that’s the case, then don’t say it.

There you go.
After the meeting, document the discussion, and keep it in your employee file.
Then, make sure there’s follow-up.

A lot of good
employees screw up now and then. In fact, at some point in our careers, we all
do. If you follow this process, you’ll get most of them back on track before it
gets out of hand.

Monday, April 1, 2013

I’ve never been a fan of practical jokes, so April fool’s
Day is one of my least favorite days of the year. However, this year is
different, because I get to host the April Carnival and bring you an
outstanding collection of the “best of the best” in leadership development.

All are recent posts are fresh picked within the last two
weeks – and guaranteed to help you grow as a leader. There’s not a weed in the
entire bunch!

Before we get started, I wanted to share a little
Carnival trivia with you. I started hosting this Carnival in July, 2008, my
second year of blogging. The inaugural edition included over 30 submissions. Only one
of them, Wally Bock from Three Star Leadership, and one of my early blogging
mentors, is still a regular contributor and included in this
month's edition (Mike Myatt and Mark Stelzner still show up now and then). I
clicked on a few of the others, and most are no longer blogging, and a few are
still around but I've not heard from in a while.

Most of the bloggers included in today's Carnival are
regular contributors and share the hosting duties every other month. I've
gotten to know many of them, and I have to say, they are an outstanding
community of professionals. Managing this Carnival gives me a reason to connect
with each of them, keep up with their blogs, and discover some new ones each
month. I've hope it's helped do the same for you, and you enjoy reading it
every month as much as we enjoy hosting it for you.

Jesse
Lyn Stoner from Jesse
Lyn Stoner Blog presents Let's
Stop Confusing Cooperation and Teamwork with Collaboration.“Using collaboration, cooperation and
teamwork interchangeably dilutes their meaning and diminishes the potential to
create powerful, collaborative environments. This post defines the difference,
discusses Marissa Mayer's memo that she was recalling remote Yahoo employees
back to offices in order to promote collaboration and explains what is required
to create a truly collaborative environment.”

Julie
Winkle Giulioni from juliewinklegiulioni.com
presents Building
the Bench. “Recent research
suggests that just as many organizations are beginning to feel that they’re
stabilizing after a long period of economic uncertainty, they may in fact find
themselves facing a new and unexpected challenge: deficient management bench
strength. This post spotlights an under-leveraged approach to addressing this
issue... while at the same time driving business results.”

Randy
Conley from Leading
with Trust presents Trust is…. “Trust is…” – How would you complete that
phrase? Trust means something different to each person, and in this reflective
post, Randy shares thoughts on what trust is to him and he invites you to add
to the list by completing the phrase, “Trust is…”

Steve
Roesler from All
Things Workplace presents Self-Leadership
& 3 Key Variables. “When it comes to making career and
leadership changes, there are three variables that come into play. If you are
wrestling with where you are right now, this may help you clarify where you
need to focus your energy and your effort.”

Bill
Matthies from Business WisdomWhat
I Will, What I Won't. “While
the philosophic take on this is what we will resist versus what we will attempt
to maintain, the business version is about spending or saving resources. In
Vegas, knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em. It's not easy is it?”

Dana
Theus from InPower Consulting Blog presents
The
3% Leadership Revolution: A (Missed) Opportunity for Women. “There is a quiet leadership revolution
going on, a shift in the definition of success from “what” to “how.” In times
of major change, the underdog has a strategic opportunity to end up on top. In
this revolution, the women-in-leadership underdogs have a unique opportunity to
capitalize on it and use it to define our leadership careers – to play a
leadership role in the revolution, so to speak – or miss our chance at squeezing
out from under the dominant culture that keeps women and men (both!) from
valuing what women bring to leadership table.”

Bruce
Lewin from Four
Groups' Blog presents Why
is Understanding People So Hard. “The lack of well recognised tools and
techniques that help us better understand people through reliable predictions
undoubtedly contributes to the fact that understanding people is hard. Taking
this conclusion at face value, it’s then easy to see how some managers don’t
want to get involved in ‘people’ issues and instead they prefer to pass the
problem to HR. Time will tell how long this situation endures but given the 50
year time frames above, it’s difficult to see this cliché being consigned to
history any time soon.”

Lolly
Daskal from www.lollydaskal.com
presents Leadership: Disappointed
To The Core. “If you meet a leader who’s
a loner, who doesn’t communicate, who’s not engaged, who seems removed and not
trusting, it’s probably not because they enjoy solitude or disengagement. It’s
far more likely that they have been disappointed. There will always be people and events that will let us down, and when
that happens it can shake us to the core.”

Kevin
Eikenberry from Blog: Leadership
& Learning presents Leading
in Living Color. “Too many leaders
think they can leave their real selves at home, leading from a place of policy,
procedure and a pursuit of perceived perfection. If you want to be a more
effective leader, be real and relatable. Lead in living color.”

What does the Millennial generation seek in leadership
development opportunities and do generational stereotypes get in the way? As
part of her article research for the Huffington Post on “filling the leadership
pipeline” Jennifer V. Miller of The People Equation
interviewed what Gen Y professionals had to say in Gen Y and Leadership: Young Professionals Speak Up.

Neal
Burgis, Ph.D. from Practical Solutions Blog
presents Coloring
Outside the Lines of Your Leadership. “Many
leaders are known as unconventional, non-traditional, and even trailblazers.
These individuals step over the boundary lines to be creative and implement
their creative side in business, and sometimes in everything else they do.
Coloring outside the lines is primarily about stepping outside your comfort
zone & take a risk to be creative with your thinking skills. This is where
you get to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Joan
Kofodimos from Anyone Can
Lead presents Why are
you so swamped?“Most causes of
managers' work overload aren't in the nature of the work - they're from within
the manager. Understanding your own patterns and what you do to keep yourself
swamped is key to getting un-swamped, and key to making the transition from
managing to leading.”